Eurobike 2010 – I spy with my little eye...

Bikes, lots of bikes, enormous halls the size of football pitches full of bikes, every kind of bicycle you can imagine is here. If someone has dreamt up a bike it will more than likely be here, I’m at the world’s largest cycle show, Eurobike.

The show doesn’t officially start until tomorrow but that hasn’t stopped us at road.cc stepping over the workmen, who are busily putting together the show stalls, so that we can get a snap shot of new kit and get an idea of what the immerging trends are. Sniffing around the stables of fixed gear bikes, chrome seems to be trying to make a comeback, again, and adding a little colour, how about some purple anodised jewellery, I feel that I should maybe be sporting some Kicker boots and a floppy fringe whilst listening to Jesus Jones on my Walkman!

Although the tech looking weave of Carbon fibre is introducing its self to practically all cycling genres, the fixed gear market is still very happy using steel in a kind of anti-technology movement. Cleaning up the skinny lines the steel frames we are seeing non sliding seat posts and one piece stem and handle bar combos. This isn’t anything new but it is nice to see it bleeding into market place and not just exclusive to custom builds. Single speed bikes are definitely a popular addition to any bike manufacturers range, brakeless fixies have been given a back seat while the one gear feewheelers get a shot in the lime light.

This I believe is a step on from the fashion movement of fixed gear riding where it is more suited to conurbations with no hills (London) but still has the uncluttered aesthetic and reliability of a fixie. The rise of the hub geared bikes is making its way up the foot hills of what could be the mountain of popularity but very few manufactures that we have seen so far have plumped for the new Shimano Alfine 11 speed hub gear (Charge Bikes being one of a few) but instead have stuck with the older 8 speed model, presumably for reasons of availability and cost.

With so much more to see tomorrow when the show is actually open, more trends will be made apparent. I had spotted some very trick looking dynamo hubs, plenty of colourful accessories and more shiny components that would make Aladdin’s cave look lack lustre.